Device for depicting characters



Nov. 26, 1940. B D 2,222,757

DEVICE FOR DBPIGTING CHARACTERS Filed April 26, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VENTOR Le: 1421 Baa d BY 62 W ATTORNEY Nov. 26, 1940. L. BUDD DEVICE FOR DEPICTING CHARACTERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 26, 1938 INVENTOR ja 'zfozz Budd BY Quad ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 26, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for depicting characters representing human beings, animals, and the like, in various positions and with various facial expressions.

Heretofore, characters have been depicted by modeling the character in clay, or by constructing the character by other means. However, characters made in such manners bore a fixed expression and a fixed position. In order to show the character with another expression or in another position, complete reconstruction was necessary.

It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide a device by means of which a character can be depicted with various facial expressions and in various positions without necessitating reconstruction or altering the device in any manner. In accordance with my invention, a model of the character to be depicted is made from a plastic material or the like with the legs and arms and body portion being movable and adjustable as in common dolls, the character having a face portion formed from an elastic substance which can be distorted and twisted in 5 various manners to display various expressions indicating anger, joy, grief, etc.

A further object is the provision of an adjustable device which can be shaped to depict any desired character, the device having portions formed of an elastic material and concealed mechanism for adjusting such material to produce a frown, smiles, and various other expressions.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, are accomplished by the simple and practical construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in perspective, showing a base for the head of a device for depicting various emotions and expressions, in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1 with the top of the figure removed, forming a sectional view, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevational views of an element used in the device shown in Fig 1,

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the device such as shown in Fig. 1, disclosing expedients for adjusting an elastic material to produce various facial expressions, l

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the manner in which the device is adjusted to produce an expression such as laughter,

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the manner in which the device is adjusted to produce an expression such as anger,

Fig. 8 is a view partly in section, disclosing details of a mechanism for adjusting the elastic material to produce the various expressions,

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an element of the adjusting mechanism,

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the opposite side of the element shown in Fig. 9. 10

Fig. 11 is an elevational view of the element as shown in Fig. 10 with a detent member in an engaged condition,

Fig. 12 is an elevational View of a device showing the manner in which a nose can be adjusted, 15

Fig. 13 is a three-quarter of the device as shown in Fig. 12.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1, there is shown a base skull l, which can be made of wood,

a plastic material or a similar substance. In- 20 side of the skull I there is mounted a shaft 2 which supports a pair of right angular shaped arms 3 to the ends of which is connected the jaw 4 of the skull. The shaft 2 is pivotally mounted in the skull and has integral therewith 25 a detent 5 which cooperates with an arcuate ratchet 6 attached to a rod 1 which is slidably mounted in the bearing 8 and has a handle 9, by means of which the rod 1 can be moved longitudinally to cause disengagement of the ratchet 30 6 with the detent 5. The ratchet 6 is normally held in engagement with the detent 5 by means of a coil spring In which bears against a washer l i integral with rod 1 and against the bearing 8.

By means of this arrangement when the detent 5 is disengaged from the ratchet 6 the jaw 4 can be adjusted to any desired position, after which the detent 5 is allowed to re-engage the ratchet 6 and thus hold the jaw in an adjusted position. Thus the various openings of the mouth can be produced.

In order to show the facial expressions, portions of the jaw and the upper lip surrounding the mechanism are covered with an elastic material such as rubber or the like, see Figs. 5, 6 and 7. To this elastic material l2 are connected a plurality of cords I3, M, Ma, l5, IE, IT, which in turn are connected to a pair of arms I8 and 19, the latter being fixed to a shaft 20 having a detent 2! adapted to fit into a toothed opening 22 in a member 23 attached to the side wall of the skull adjacent the car 24. The shaft 20 projects through the ear and is provided with a polygonal extremity 25 arranged to receive a 55 key 26 by means of which the shaft can be turned to desired positions.

By means of this arrangement, any desired facial expression can be produced, as shown for example in Fig. 6 where the shaft is rotated to pull upon cords l3, l4, and Ma and to slacken upon cords l5, l6, and IT, thus producing the expression of laughter. In Fig. '7 the cords l5, l6 and I! are tightened and cords l3, l4 and Ma are slackened, producing an expression of anger. Obviously by properly adjusting the position of the jaw and tightening and slackening upon the cords to adjust the elastic material l2, practically any desired expression can be obtained.

In Figs. 12 and 13 is shown an expedient for producing adjustments of anose. In accordance with Figures 12 and 13, the nose is formed of several parts having an extremity 30 which has a ball and socket connection with a ball 3|, which fits into an intermediate member 32 the latter having a ball and socket connection by means of a ball 33 with the skull.

The above description pertains to the base of a skull of a device for use in accordance with my invention. In making a completed character the skull of the headis first modeled in clay and shellacked to make rigid for a wood carver. The model skeleton head is then carved in wood. with the wood being left rough where the rubber is to be made fast, such as parts of the temple and forehead, etc.

Over the wooden skeleton head, the face is modeled in clay, after which it is removed from the skeleton and shellacked for making a mold from crude rubber. After making the crude rubber mold of the face, the joints are patched up and likewise the eyelids, etc., after which the crude rubber face is vulcanized and then attached to the wooden skeleton head. The metal adjusting parts as described in connection. with Figs. 1 and 5 are then placed in position and connected with the jaw portion and the rubber mold. The eyes, lashes, and coloring details are added together with wigs, beards, or whatever further features are necessary to complete the character.

When a character has been made as above described, it can be conveniently photographed in various positions and with Various expressions. The device can be advantageously used in a series of advertisements for depicting the same character with different expressions. It is well adapted also for producing magazine covers and the like, where it is desired to produce the same character from time to time in different positions, different dress and different expressions.

It also is capable of being used for animating the character on a screen. In making a film for animating the character, by stop-motion screen photography, the character is photographed in various positions to produce action when the film is passed through a motion picture projecting machine.

From the above description it will be seen that there has been produced a device and method for presenting a new and novel performance for use in the amusement field to engage and occupy the attention. With appropriately modeled characters staged in proper settings, the mechanical characters may be offered as screen entertainment, as comic strips, and single illustrations, in almost any manner that real human beings and animals perform.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not asrestrictive or illustrative of the invention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including modifications without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pa ent, is:

1. A device for depicting a character with various facial expressions, comprising a model preformed into the shape of a character desired to be depicted, said model having a head with a movable jaw, a lever positioned in the head and connected to the movable jaw, detent means in the head associated with the lever to hold the jaw in adjusted positions ,a coating of elastic material mounted over certain parts of the head, and means within the head operable through a portion of "the head for distorting the elastic material to create desired expressions.

2. A device for depicting a character with various facial expressions, comprising a model preformed into the shape of a character desired to be depicted, said model having a head with a movable jaw, a lever positioned in the head and connected to the movable jaw, detent means associated with the lever to hold the jaw in adjusted positions, a coating of elastic material mounted over certain partsof the head, means within the head operable through a section of the head to distort the elastic material to create desired expressions, and detent means to hold the elastic material in various distorted positions.

LEIGHTON BUDD. 

